1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to water supply systems for small animals and the like. Specifically, the field of the invention is that of devices for connecting conduit and ballast portions of such a water supply system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The proper provision of water is essential for safe and efficient nurturing of fowl and small animals, for example in raising chickens. The proper amount of water is critical to develop the chickens quickly for consumption, and is at least as important as food. Water is important in terms of cost because chickens receiving more water consume less food. In addition to the chickens needing water to grow, water may provide other benefits, for example, medicine and vitamins may be added to provide the chickens beneficial nutrients. However, problems with the water supply may adversely affect the chickens. Leakage in the water supply system may foster bacteria growth and infection, and left unchecked may flood the hen house and drown the chickens. Therefore, water accumulating on the floors of the hen house should be avoided. If too much water is dispensed each time the valve opens, then the excess water may wet the chicken and wet the litter which fosters bacteria and mold and thereby endangers the health of the chickens.
A water supply system described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,284,036, 4,491,088, 4,589,373, and 4,637,345 solves many of the aforementioned problems, and each of these patents is expressly incorporated by reference herein. These patents describe a valve for providing water to chickens and the like while minimizing the leakage of water. The valve disclosed in the aforementioned patents has a tubular body with a tapered lower bore which is sealed by a pin having a head resting on a rubber cup on the inside lower surface of the valve. A metal ball sets on the head, and a three ring seal is formed by the head abutting the cup and the ball abutting two seats of the cup. The ball may be unseated by tilting the pin and moving it out of axial alignment with the body, so that the head rests only on a small portion of the cup, and the ball is raised to move it out of engagement with the other seats. Only a small amount of water is able to flow through the restricted gaps between the ball and the cup when the pin is tilted, and the water droplet so formed flows along the pin to its bottom. The pin is a shiny metallic element which attracts the attention of chickens. Normally, a chicken moves the pin with its beak, and the valve allows a small water droplet to pass so that the chicken may easily consume the droplet as it flows down the pin.
The valve is mounted on the underside of the water supply system conduit at predetermined positions. A lateral projection of the valve body includes a shank with a hook for attaching over a part of an integral valve seating portion of the conduit. In order to operate properly, the valve should be positioned relatively perpendicularly with respect to the ground. More specifically, when the pin head is seated on the cup, the axis of the pin should be perpendicular with the ground. This arrangement results in the force of gravity uniformly pressing the head of the pin onto the rubber cup to form one of the three seals, and when the head is so disposed then the ball is also in contact with the other two sealing positions.
The conduit is attached to the underside of a ballast pipe by a wrap connector. The wrap connector is made of the same material as the conduit, e.g. plastic or ABS material which is food grade material, and is sonically welded to the conduit. The ballast pipe may be a rigid elongate element, such as a galvanized steel pipe. The wrap connector is bolted to the ballast pipe and thus holds the conduit in spaced relation below. Fingers at the top of the wrap connector are used to hold an electrically conductive cable which serves as an anti-roosting device. The wrap connector includes two initially separate upper and lower portions. The lower portion has a hook on one side for locking with a slot of the upper portion. A bolt extends through each portion on the opposite side of the slot and hook, and is threadably engaged by a nut to couple the upper and lower portions together. A more detailed description of the wrap connector, as well as a hanger system to suspend the water supply system, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,462, entitled "HANGER FOR WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM AND METHOD OF INSTALLATION" , filed Dec. 14, 1989, Ser. No. 07/429,226, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the disclosure of which is explicitly incorporated by reference.
The above described water supply system may be suspended from the ceiling of a chicken house. When suspended, the hinge portion of the wrap connector, near the hook and slot, receives stress from the load of the conduit which is filled with water. The structural integrity of the wrap connector securely absorbs the stress, and assuming that the lower portions of the wrap connector are properly connected to the conduit, the valves are maintained in a perpendicular position. Thus the system provides water to chickens quite well, minimizing water spillage or buildup.
To further combat the chance of infection or contamination, these systems may be periodically cleaned by use of harsh disinfectants such as quaternary ammonia or iodine. However, cleaning with such a disinfectant may damage stressed portions of the wrap connector, for example at the hinges of the wrap connector where only a limited portion of plastic holds the upper and lower portions together. The hook and slot arrangement which joins the upper and lower portions at one side allows only a fraction of the width of each portion to support the jointure. The disinfectant may weaken the structural integrity of the limited portions of the wrap connector body near the hook and slot and eventually may cause breakage. Thus, periodic cleaning of a structurally secure water supply system with harsh disinfectants may weaken the structural integrity of the plastic wrap connector at the portions which receive stress.
Another difficulty with prior art wrap connectors is that the exterior surface of the wrap connector has dips, crevices, holes, and other structures which allow particulate to accumulate and are difficult to clean out. These structures are difficult to clean because they require spraying of cleansing water at various angles to reach every dip and crevice.
The prior art wrap connectors may also present problems with manufacture and delivery of the system. In manufacture, the prior art wrap connectors often include irregular shapes which are difficult to fabricate, and many wrap connectors are made from relatively expensive materials. In assembling the wrap connector to the conduit, the bottom portion must be carefully aligned with the valve seating portions of the conduit before sonically welding to ensure that the wrap connector properly aligns the valve with the ballast pipe. Regarding storage, the prior art wrap connectors require about twice the storage space for shipment than the conduit itself because of the sonically welded lower portions of the wrap connector which extend from the conduit.
Further difficulty with prior art wrap connectors involves how the prior art systems respond to sudden temperature variation, for example by steam cleaning the system. When the steam is forced through the conduit, the plastic of the conduit rises in temperature much more than the metal ballast pipe, and the plastic material has a higher expansion coefficient than the metal. This results in the plastic conduit expanding much more than the metal during the steam cleaning. The expansion and subsequent contraction of the plastic material may cause breakdown of the plastic conduit. After the expansion and contraction caused by the sudden temperature variation, the plastic conduit may not return to its original shape but rather may assume a less structurally sound shape.
What is needed is a connector for water supply systems which better withstands treatment by harsh disinfectants.
Also needed is a connector which allows less particulate accumulation and is easier to clean.
A further need exists for a connector which facilitates manufacture and storage.
An additional need exists for a connector which allows for expansion and contraction of the conduit in response to sudden temperature variation.